Display lug box



April 23, 1957 Filed Deb. l, 1955 R. P. HARBOUR DISPLAY LUG BOX 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Roswell RBarbouz' BY April 23, 1957 R. .P.BARBOUR DISPLAY LUG BOX Filed L 90. 1, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORRoswell PBarboar HTTYS United States Patent DISPLAY LUG BOX Roswell P.Barbour, Lodi, Calif. Application December 1, 1953, Serial No. 395,423

2 Claims. (Cl. 229-23) This invention relates to shipping boxes in whichfresh grapes, and the like, are packed for shipment; and while using alid generally the same as that shown in my oopending application SerialNo. 376,090, filed August 24, 1953, now Patent No. 2,759,619, employs aspecially-designed box to cooperate with this lid-the improved box landlid combination forming the major object of the present invention.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a box and lidcombination which, while employing the usual relatively heavy woodenends for the box, is, as a whole, lighter and at the same time strongerthan an all wood box, while being capable of mass production as easilyas, and at a cost less than that of, the conventional wooden box.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a box and lidcombination which conceals all the fruit while providing ampleventilation therefor; one which allows of easy exposing of the fruitwhen desired, either for inspection or display, without mutilation ofthe lid being necessary; one in which the sides form a support for thelid so as to prevent crushing of the fruit without having to make thelid excessively heavy; and one in whichthe sides of the box are arrangedto form a guide for full packing of the box.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a display lug boxwhich is practical, reliable, and durable, and one which is exceedinglyeffective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

In the dnawings:

Fig 1 is a side elevation of the box with the lid in position thereon,and with the outer side panel partly broken away. I

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the box and lid; the latter beingshown as only partially engaged with the box.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross section on line 3-3 of Pi 1.

ig. 4 is a fragmentary cross section on line 4-4 of Pi 1.

' Fig. 5 is a plan view of the blank from which the bottom and sides ofthe box are formed.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the lid blank.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings, the box comprises the usual type of rigid wooden ends 1,surmounted by the inwardly overhanging cleats 2.

The sides and bottom of the box are formed from a single blank 3 (seeFig. 5) of waterproofied fiber board or paper board of a standard formof construction which, while relatively thin and light, is strong andsubstantially rigid. This blank is cut to a predetermined length andwhich is sufficient to provide a bottom panel 4 for the box and sideportions 5 of sufiicien-t extent to provide double thickness sides forthe box; each of which includes an outer panel 6 and an inner panel 7.

2,789,748 Patented Apr. 23, 1957 ice The blank is scored at the junctionof panel 4 and side panel 6, as shown at 8, and the blankalong the lineof scoring -is provided with ventilation openings 9.

At the junction of panels 6 and 7, the blank is scored for a shortdistance only from the sides of the blank, as shown at 10, and betweenthe scoring the blank is cut through to form a curved large-radius slit11, which is convex in the direction of the bottom panel 4, as shown inFig. 5.

Between the scoring 10 and the slit 11, the blank is cut with notches 12which are relatively wide compared to the slit and are formed with theirends nearest the scoring substantially parallel to the sides of theblank, as clearly shown.

The panels 6 and 7 are each substantially of equal height, which heightis slightly less than the height of ends 1, and when said panels arebent or folded about the scoring 10 (so as to be parallel to and againsteach other and with the panel 7 on the inside, as shown in Fig. 3), theconvexly cut edge 13 of panel 7 projects above the line of bend or foldwhile the corresponding edge of panel 6 projects below said line, asshown in Fig. 1.

The curvature of the slit is such that at the center of length of edge13, said edge is just below the level of the top of the end cleats 2.

The ventilated lid 14, which is also cut from the same weight and typeof material as blank 3, is specially designed to cooperate with thespecific box, as above described.

To this end, the length of the lid is sufiiciently greater than thestraight-line distance between the ends 1 as to cause said lid to assumea curvature substantially the same as that of panel edge 7 when the endsof the lid are engaged under cleats 2 and 'abutted against the ends 1,as shown in Fig. 1.

The width of the lid is such that it will overlap the edge 13 of theinner side panel 7, as shown in Fig. 3.

The lid, centrally of its ends, is formed with bentdown tabs 15 adaptedto project between side panels 6 and 7 through the opening provided bythe slit 11. This helps to stabilize the lid against lateral shifting,and also forms a tie between the side panels and the lid, reinforcingsaid panels against possible lateral deflection due to the load insidethe box, or by reason of pressure exerted against the box from theoutside.

In order that the tabs 15 may resist upward displacement after oncehaving been lowered to position, each tab is formed with a tongue 16 cutinto the tab so as to face upwardly.

This tongue is adapted to be deflected outwardly by hand before the lidis. placed on the box so that when the tabs 15 are lowered between thepanels 6 and 7 they will snap out when they reach and enter slots 17 cutin the outer panels 6 in proper position to allow the upper free edge ofthe deflected tongues to substantially engage the upper edge of theslots, as shown in Fig. 3. This feature, by preventing upwarddisplacement of the tabs, also, of course, prevents displacement of thelid away from the panel edges 13. It has been found (by test) that theloaded box may be inverted without the lid being displaced by the weightfrom within the box.

The lid is additionally located and retained by means of other bent-downtabs 18 on the sides of the lid at the ends thereof. These tabs, attheir outer ends and adja cent the lid, are notched, as at 19, so that,when the tabs are projected between panels 6 and 7 just beyond theconnected or scored and unslit portions 20 of the panels, such portionswill enter the notches, as shown in Fig. 1.

Said notched flaps thus form hooks on the lid, pre venting undesiredupward displacement of the lid ends eater 3 from under the overhangingcleats 2, and securing the lid in place without the use of nails or thelike.

The notches 12 in the panels 6 and 7 prevent possible tearing of thepanel material at the junction of the slits 12 with the connectionportions 20; the scoring along the latter being arranged so thatportions 20,'instead of being flatly bent when the panels are foldedover, may each assume a relatively rounded form in section, as showngenerally at 21 in Fig. 4.

This provides a mouth for the initial entry of the corresponding hooktab 13 into its engaging position between the side panels. The length ofportions 20 is greater than the thickness of ends 1 since the hook tabs18 cannot be projected further out than the inner faces'of said ends towhich the panels 6 and 7 are secured ii'ails Z I yhich draw them closelytogether along the nailing'zo nes.

T o apply the lid, it is only necessary to initially dispose the same ata longitudinal angle to the box so as to engage one end of the lid underone cleat' 2 with the adjacent tabs 18 initially inserted between thepanels 6 and 7 in a hooking position and with the central tabs 15initially inserted between said panels, all as shpwn in Fig. 2. i Thelid-which is inherently somewhat flexible and springy 'is then bent downat the other end so as to similarly engage the corresponding end ofthe'lid under the adjacent cleat 2 and to dispose the adjacent tabs 18into engaging relation with the adjacent portion 20 ,and between thepanels 6 and 7. The lid then assumes its secured or locked position ofitself when the manipulating pressure thereon is released The centralportion of the lid, being then supported at a level no higher than thatof cleats 2, olfers no inter.- ference with the stacking of boxes one onthe other, as indicated in Fig. 1; and to retain such stacked boxes inlocated relation, transverse cleats 23 (of the same material as that ofthe box blanks) is secured on the bottom of the box transversely thereofand just clear of the cleats 2, as indicated.

End guards or liners 24 are provided with each box, as usual, to preventcontact of the fruit with the wooden ends 1;and such guards, before thebox is packed, may be conveniently carried between the side panels 6 and7 the length of theslits 11 being sulficient to allow the guards to beprojected therethrough without folding. With the above described box andlid arrangement, the fruit in the box is perfectly protected againstdamage or pilferage from between the lid and sides since no verticalopenings are left as is ordinarily the case.

Removal of the lid, for inspection or display of the fruit, is, ofcourse, a simple procedure without any damage to the lid or box beinghad; it being only necessary to press in the tongues 16 by the fingersand lift'up 9!; he gentral portion of the lid (which will first dislodgeone end or the other from under-the corresponding end cleat 2) while atthe same time disenaging the adjacent linoks 1 8 from their hold on theadjacent portions '20.

If it is then desired to display the fruit in the box (and which fruitsettles somewhat during transit), it is only necessary to cut the innerpanel 7, with a pocket knife, along the guide formed by the concave slitedge 25 in the outer panel 6.

While the fiber board, of which the box is mainly constructed, isrelatively light and thin, the fact that the bottom and sides'areintegral, and that the sides are of double thickness, serves to make thebox very strong and rigid and able to withstand end pressure withoutdamage to the box; and such pressure, if excessive, will merely causethe box to possibly be distorted temporarily Without any breakageoccurring.

have provided a box and lid combination which is light and neat;substantial so that collapse and breakage is not likely; one whichprovides for ready inspection of the contents of the box withoutmutilation of the lid; one which conceals the fruit when the lid is inplace so that no pilferage of any fruit is possible without the need ofany separate side guards; one which prevents sagging of the lid when theboxes are stacked; and one which will materially reduce shipping costsand give a resultant saving to the shipper due to the light nature ofthe unit.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there hasbeen produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetailmay be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new anduseful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. A lug box including end members, sides secured thereto, and a lidextending between the end members with an upward bow; each sidecomprising a member of relatively thin cuttable material bent to form apair of integral inner and outer panels abutting against each Other, andconnecting together along the line of bend for short portions adjacenttheir ends only and at a level adjacent the top of the end members, thepanel-forming member being cut through between the connected portions ona curved line such that when the member is bent to form the panels, theinner panel will extend above the outer panel for the distance betweenthe connected portions and above the same to conform to andsubstantially engage the bowed underside of the lid.

2. A lug box including end members and sides secured thereto, each sidecomprising a pair of separate inner and outer panels of relatively thinmaterial, said panels having integral relatively short connectedportions along their top edges at the ends thereof and being separatedfrom each other beyond said portions, a flexible lid extending betweenthe end members, and hook-forming tabs depending from the sides of thelid adjacent the ends thereofand releasably engaging under saidpanelconnecting portions when the tabs are projected between theseparate panels; the panels being notched vertically and lengthwise atthe'inner end of the connecting portions and said portions beingdeformed laterally to the bottom of the notches to provide an open spacebetween said portions for the easy entry of the outer end portion of;the tabs.

References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 719,553Baldwin Feb. 3, 1903 1,963,378 Petter June 19, 1934 1,986,145 GoodyearJan. 1, 1935 2,044,301 Hill June 16, 1936 2,358,943 Smith Sept. 26, 19442,404,067v Hill July 16, 1946 2,414,703 Snyder Jan. 21', 1947 2,460,870Bruckhauser Feb. 8, 1949 2,514,295 Scurich July 4, 1950 2,566,500 Roseet a1 Sept. 4, 1951- 2-,618,429 Donnell Nov. 18, 1952 2,621,847Stefanich Dec. '16,

